Gravity-car control



Jan.16,1923.

R.C.LYTTLE GRAVITY CAR CONTROL.

FILED FEB. 23, I922- Mai.-

Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES ROY C. LYTTLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GRAVITY-CAR CONTROL.

Application filed February 23, 1922. Serial No. 538,588.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Roy C. LYTTLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gravity-Car Controls, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in gravity car controls, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed. An objectof my invention is to provide a gravity car control which is adapted to automatically slow up a car, such as a freight car, as the latter passes ,thereover.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described in which the braking force applied to the car is proportional to the weight of the car.

. A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described in which the braking force may be varied at will.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which is adapted to effectually apply a braking force simultaneously to all of the wheels of a car which pass thereover.

A further object of my invention is to provide a-device of the type described which may be readily installed in a track of ordinary construction, and which is especially adapted for use in terminals or yards.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which is simple in construction, efiicient for the purpose intended, and which is not likely to easily get out of order. I v

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularl pointed out in the appended claims.

y invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, .in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a railroad track, showing places where two of the devices could be effectually disposed,

Figure2 is an end elevation of the device, and

Figure 3 is.asection along the line 33 of Figure 2.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a movable platform 1 which carries a section of an ordinary railroad track 2. The

of the car.

section of the track is disposed in a track of ordinary construction, and a car, which is carried by the ordinary track, is adapted to pass over this section. When the car is disposed on the section, the weight thereof will actuate a-means hereinafter described, which will automatically apply a braking force to the car in proportion to the weight Means by which the foregoing is .accom plished consists of a well 3 which is disposed beneath the track, and in which the platform 1 is adapted to move. The platform 1 entirely encloses the well 3, therebypreventing dirt or the like from entering the well and interfering with the mechanism disposed in the well; The well 3 is enclosed by cement walls and fioor 1, or the like. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the level of the ground lies in the same plane as the platform 1, and the platform '1 is normally disposed at thetop ofthe well 3.. The platform 1 may consist of a plurality of trans verse planks which are secured to longitudinally extending beams 5. These beams are supported by rods 6 which are slidable in housing 7, the housing being carried by the floor 1. The platform 1 is preferably one and one-half times the length of the ordinary freight car, although it is obvious that it may be of any length desired. The

supporting rods 6 are disposed appr0Xi- Tension springs 8 are disposed above the full line position shown in Fig ure 2. The springs 8 are of such strength as to respond to an empty boxcar. A much heavier spring 10 encircles the spring 8, and is adapted to be supported by the housing 7. It will be seen that this spring is not as long as the spring 8. In other words, the

platform 1 will have to be moved downwardly a slight distance before the top of the spring 10 engages with the under side of the beam 5. This construction provides a simple and effective means by which a light freight car, or the like, will. actuate the mechanism, and a heavy freight car, or

the like, will also actuate the mechanism,

but will not move the platform much beyond the movement that the light freight car imparts thereto. In other words, the rail sections carried by the platform 1 are never disposed so low as to prevent the car from moving off from the platform and onto the regular track.

The mechanism-which automatically applies the brakes consists in a plurality of cylinders 11 which have pistons 12 mounted therein. A compressed air tank 13 is connected to the cylinders 12 by means of an air pipe 1% and branch air pipes 15. The pipes 15 communicate with the pipe 1% and with the cylinders 11. These pipes are controlled by the valve which has an arm 15. It Will be apparent that when the arm 16 is actuated. it will open the valve in its respective pipe 15 so as to permit the air to flow from the pipe 1a into the cylinder 15, whereby the piston 12 is moved upwardly. 1 prefer to have the number of cylinders 11 equal to the number of pairs of supporting rods 6, but I do not care to be confined to this specific arrangement. Each of the arms 16'is operativcly connected to the platform 1 so that when the platform is moved slightly in a downward direction, the arms will be actuated so as to permit air to enter the cylinders 11.

lieans by which the 16 are actuated comprises links 17 which are connected to the beams 5 and to hell crank levers 18, the bell crank levers being carried by supports 19. The free ends of the bell crank levers are operatively connected to the arms '16 by means oflinks 20. It will therefore be apparent that the downward movement of the links 17 will swing the arms 16 from the full line position to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2, whereby air. is permitted to enter the cylinders 11. The piston 12 carries a piston rod 21, which in turn has links secured thereto. The free ends of the links 22 are supported by links 23, these links having their free ends pivotally carried by the platform 1. The free endsof each set of links 22 are secured to a longitudinally extending member 24;, such as a rail, this member being normally disposed 011 the inside of the tracks2 and slightly above the plane of the latter. The members 2 1 are substantially as long as the platform 1, and are adapted to be moved outwardly by the links 22 when the platform 1' is moved downwardly. It is therefore obvious that the members 2&1 will frictionally engagev the inner sides of all of the wheels of the car 7 which are being carried by the platform 1.

just been released by a switch locomotive (not shown) and is moving in the direction of the arrow. Also assume that a switchin the track is disposed at 27. It is obvious that the car 26, as it moves down the grade 25, will increase in speed, and will move along the lower portion 28 of the track at a relatively great speed. If a group of cars were already disposed on the portion;28 of the track, the car 26 would strike the latter with a relatively great force, which would jar the contents of the car, and subject the car to undue stresses. Furthermora the car :26 might be going at such a speed as to become derailed when being switched at the point 527. In the system thus outlined, I could dispose one of my devices at the down grade 25, and another device after the,

switching point 27, such as indicated at w and y. it will now be apparent that when the car 26 passes overthe device situated" at co, the braking mechanism hereinbefore'described will cause the members 24 1;0 1:110 t-ionally engage the Wheels 29, of the car, whereby. the car is retarded in itsispeed. As the car 26 passes from the device situated at w, it will be going at much slower speed and will. therefore not, be likely tobe-derailed whenbeing switched. After the. car has passed the switching point, it is further retarded in its speed by the device situated at y, whereupon the movement thereof will be relatively slow, so that when the car, engages with the train of cars (not shown)" on the portion28 of the track, it willnot strike these cars with a great force. It willtherefore be seen that providing the foregoing track with the devices, the-switching of cars will be accomplished with the minimum amount of damage. The foregoing system is given as a typical example, of how the devices may be effectively disposed in aterininal of known construction. It is obvious that the devices maybe, 'disposed'intermL nals which are on relatively flat ground instead of hilly ground, as hereinbefore'l described. 7

From the foregoingit Will'be observed that I have provideda device which is efiicient in operation, and which is adapted to effectually apply a bakin force tea car which passes thereover, will'further be noted that the movement of theplatfonn 1 is substantially the same whetherthe car passing thereover is heavy Orlight, Itwill also be apparent thata greater movement is imparted to the platform 1 when,a heavy car passed thereover, whereby a' greater braking force is applied to wheels of the car. As heretofore stated, the "device is relatively simple in operation, andl -isfnot likely to easilyget out of order, Iclaim: 1.. The combination witlra track, ofa movable track section constituting a part of said main track, said track section being adapted to move slightly downwardly with respect to the main track when a car is placed thereon, and means actuated by the movement of said car for simultaneously applying a braking force to the inner sides of all of the car wheels. I

2. The combination with a track, of a movable track section constituting a part of said main track, said track section being adapted to move slightly downwardly with respect to the main track when a car is placed thereon, and means actuated by the movement of said car for simultaneously applying a braking force to the inner sides of all of the car wheels, said means being adapted to apply a brakin force to the car wheels in proportion to the weight of the car.

3. A device of the type described comprising a horizontal track supporting platform adapted. to move in a vertical direction, and means actuated by the movement of said platform for applying. a braking force to the inner sides of all the wheels of a freight car when supported by said platform.

4. A device of the type described comprising a track supporting platform, rods yieldingly supporting said platform and being adapted to be moved in a vertical direction, braking members disposed inside of and parallel with the tracks, a pressure cylinder, a piston in said cylinder and being operatively connected to said braking members, whereby when said piston is actuated, said braking members will be moved away from each other, a valve for 'said cylinder,

said valve being operatively connected to said platform, whereby a downward movement of said platform will actuate said valve. i 5. A device of the type described combetween said supporting members and said platform, and a relatively heavy tension spring disposed around each light spring and being carried by said supporting members, said heavy springs terminating a spaced distance from said platform.

6. A device of the type described comprising a track supporting platform, platform supporting members, rods slidablyplatform, a relatively lighttension spring dlsposed around each rod and carried by said members andv being .con

nected to said platform, a relatively. light tension spring disposed around each rod and between said supportingmembers and said platform, a relatively heavy tension spring disposed around each light spring and being carried by said supporting members, said heavy springs terminating a spaceddistance from said platform, braking lle members disposed inside of and para with the tracks, a pressure cylinder, a piston in said cylinder and being operatively connected to said braking members, whereby when said piston is actuated, said brakng members will be moved aWay from each other, a valve for said cylinder, said valve being operatively connected to said platform, whereby a downward movement of said platform will actuate said valve/ ROY o. LYTTLE. 

